When You're Too Sick To Record. Do This Stuff.

In this episode, Rob and Brittany discuss what tasks you can accomplish when you're at home sick in bed and still need to be productive. 

[00:00:00] Rob: Last week. I was sick with a head cold for the first time in what felt like forever. It sucked. I felt like garbage. My voice was super scratchy and it meant we couldn't record any podcasts that week. It's going to happen to everybody. At some point, you're going to feel like garbage, whether it's a head cold or any cold or whatever, you're going to get knocked down and not be able to get behind a microphone.[00:00:23] So we thought we would take some time to give some tips on what you can do while you are either. Down on the couch or cuddled up in bed with your laptop to get ahead on your podcast without actually having to record. So the first tip that I would throw out there is social media prepping. It is one thing that is easy to fall behind on because it takes a lot of time to create social posts for any number of platforms that you might be on.[00:00:51] It takes time to create your visuals. It takes time to create the actual texts. It takes time to set up any web pages that you might be [00:01:00] associating to. It. It takes time to create sound bites and audiograms. Any of that stuff that you have for your prerecorded episodes that are going to be coming out in the next few weeks.[00:01:08] It's a great time to work on those.[00:01:11] Brittany: Yeah, I agree with that. And I think one of the other things is I am not a huge fan of writing. That's not really my thing. You're the English major. You have written books, you're very accomplished person writing for me. Super difficult. Yes. I'm always behind on my writing blogs. We have to create content, right?[00:01:30] So I think getting caught up on blogs is a great way to lay in bed, be sick, but also be productive. And don't just write one blog, write two, maybe three, knock those out. Because I think that those can be one of the things getting off your plate when you do feel better and you can record and you can do other things.[00:01:46] Blog writing super easy to do when you're laying in bed, even, maybe have TV on the background. I've been guilty of that. [00:01:51] Rob: Oh yeah. Same. I absolutely guilty of that. Or having the iPad in front of me and been working. Yeah. Yep. Ditto. All right. Another tip. Look for [00:02:00] your guests.[00:02:00] Obviously we're going to give PodOps a little shout out here. You have your phone next to you. You're in bed. It's a swipe away. You don't even have to use your voice. It's a great opportunity to be scrolling through profiles, looking for potential guests who could be on your show, sending out messages and trying to schedule those in a week or two when you're going to feel better.[00:02:20] So it is a great way to plan out the next few weeks. And when you are back on your feet, you can jump right back into your interviews and that content creation. [00:02:29] Brittany: Yes. And it never hurts to get ahead on anything. So I will say I love to lay in bed even when I'm just going to bed at night, relaxing.[00:02:36] I like to do a little swiping in our app, get us some guests on our show. So I'm definitely, even if you're not sick, it's a good little fun thing to do before bed or right. When you wake up just saying, we all like to get on our phones. Don't deny it. We all do it. [00:02:48] Rob: We do. And you should talk to us in the app because we definitely are in the app and we do reach out to people.[00:02:52] So come be our guest. [00:02:54] Brittany: Yeah. Come on. let's talk about your podcast and what value you have found in it. So there's another plug come [00:03:00] be a guest through our app. I think the other thing that you can do is editing. Editing is so time-consuming that when you're laying in bed, you can definitely do editing on your laptop and you[00:03:10] get a lot done and you have to pay attention and things like that, but I do think not having to talk or anything, it's a great activity for that. Cause you can just sit and focus. Might even been take your mind off of being sick because you have to be in the zone when you edit.[00:03:22] Rob: Agreed. I'm fortunate. I don't have to do any of the editing cause you do all of that. I'm very excited about that. It's a lot of work. but yes, I agree. if you can lay up in bed with your laptop and knock that out, I know how many hours it takes you. it's a great use of your time. And also, I think you and I are probably, we sound like hypocrites when I say this.[00:03:41] Cause we're both stubborn A type personalities. I know that when I first get sick, I'm the type that I deny. It'll be like, I am not sick. It's just my allergies acting up. I'll deny it until the point of I'm too sick to move. I'm happy to hold up in the house and be in my little bubble, but I'm like, I'm not sick.[00:03:56] I'm fine, I'm still on my and treadmill. I'm good. Once it's time [00:04:00] to throw in the towel. It is okay to actually give yourself a day or two and actually rest and recuperate. don't be too hard on yourself. If you do need to take some time, it is okay. Give yourself a little bit of a break.[00:04:11] don't take the Rob and Brittany approach and beat yourself up all the time.[00:04:14] Brittany: I, 100% agree with that and I will say. I got super, super sick after new year's this year. I don't know if you remember this Rob, but I was like, I'm going to do all this stuff. And you're like, dude, if you need to take the day, just do that because you sound terrible and I'm just like, I'm fine. I was not fine.[00:04:31] I really did have to take a few days because it was literally One of those sicknesses where you're so sleepy, you just randomly fall asleep and you're in and out of stuff. So it was definitely good for me to take a few days and I was better for it. And I think I was more productive coming back to work.[00:04:46] So anyways, I was definitely grateful, not only that have a good business partner that says, look, you need to take the time. It's fine. We'll figure it out. And we always do. So I appreciate that about you Rob. [00:04:56] Rob: Same. I do think it's funny that we both do the same thing where we feel [00:05:00] like garbage and we're like, I'm going to double up my workload.[00:05:02] I'm fine. I'll power through. I'm going to get 10 times as much work done and bust through this, and then we're literally dying inside. But yeah, sometimes I wonder why our brains work the way they do. We need a psychiatrist to come on and analyze us just for fun. That would be an interesting episode.[00:05:17] Brittany: Yes, it would. Cause we're both a little sadistic when it comes to work. I think. [00:05:21] Rob: Absolutely calling all psychiatrists. If you're listening where we're looking for a guest who would like to analyze two A-type stubborn personalities. [00:05:28] Brittany: Yes. And why this actually works as a business partnership, because I would never think that two A-type personalities would be able to jive the way that we do, but we do pretty well.[00:05:36] Rob: Yeah. Why haven't we killed each other? That's the weird part. It is odd that we get along so well also I know we're going off on a tangent because this was not the topic but. We're very good at decision-making it's more do we want him to do a, B let's do A. Okay. done we're good.[00:05:48] Next decision made. [00:05:49] Brittany: Yep. We're very decisive when it comes to things. So that has also really helped us. But, I also think the distance helps. I'm just going to say that I think you appreciate the fact that when it's really cold, where you are, you can come to [00:06:00] where I live and it's always wonderful and beautiful.[00:06:02] So [00:06:02] Rob: that is very true. Having lived in Puerto Rico for a few years, I definitely miss constant sunshine. So being in Baltimore, where there is true winter, the mid Atlantic has miserable cold winters. I much prefer a winter in Georgia to a winter and Maryland. [00:06:17] Brittany: Absolutely. and I've gotten to the point where I'm like, so intolerant it's 70 degrees with a slight breeze and I'm like, oh my gosh, where were all of my coats?[00:06:24] Rob: See, that's why you get sick. And that's why you then have to take these tips into account because it dropped below 70 and you get a cold. [00:06:31] Brittany: Exactly. I think we should wrap it here unless you have anything else to add. [00:06:34] Rob: If you can avoid getting sick, that's your best bet, but if not, we gave you those tips, run with them.[00:06:39] Brittany: I like it. Thanks so much for tuning in. Please listen, like and follow the podcast and we'll see you guys next week.